Maritime Industry Top News
Marlink, Palantir Enter IT Services Partnership
Marlink and Palantir AS have signed a strategic partnership agreement that aims to improve access to IT services in the maritime industry. Palantir’s IT products complement Marlink parent company Airbus Defence and Space’s extensive AuroraGlobal multi-band (Ka-, Ku-, C and L-band) connectivity portfolio and value added solutions, which enable shipping companies to optimize communications and operations.
Liebherr Scores Several RTG Orders
DP World Asian Terminals Inc. has placed an order with Liebherr Container Cranes for a further five RTGs at its Manila facility following an order of two units that were commissioned earlier in 2014 at the port. The RTGs feature numerous environmental, safety and productivity technologies, Liebherr said. An eco-friendly variable speed drive will reduce both emissions and fuel consumption per box moved…
European Parliament Backs European Shipping Week
European Shipping Week has been granted the European Parliament’s official patronage by its President, Martin Schulz. Both the European Commission and the European Parliament have now actively expressed their support for the week-long event which will be held in Brussels during March 2-6, 2015. Commenting on European Shipping Week, Schulz said, “The aim of the initiative, namely to bring together the leading members of the shipping industry of the EU and give them an opportunity to meet…
M3nergy Berhad Unveil Latest FPSO Vessel
M3nergy Berhad celebrated the completion of their latest FPSO vessel, Ratu Nusantara, at a launch ceremony at the Keppel Shipyard in Singapore. Under the auspices of SKK Migas and PC Ketapang II Ltd (PCK2L), the newly named vessel will embark on its inaugural voyage for the Bukit Tua oil and gas field in Indonesia operated by PETRONAS. Ratu Nusantara, a converted FPSO, has been constructed from a 1994-built Aframax tanker, 'Scorpius' which was meted out in the last quarter of 2013.
Quantum of the Seas Delivered to Royal Caribbean
Royal Caribbean International took delivery today of the newest addition to the cruise line’s fleet, Quantum of the Seas, from Meyer Werft Yard, at an official signing ceremony in Bremerhaven, Germany attended by Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.’s Chairman and CEO Richard D. Fain and Meyer Werft Yard’s Managing Partner Bernard Meyer. With Captain Srecko “Felix” Ban at the helm, the ship will begin her journey today to Southampton…
AMS Presents 2014 Safety Awards
Nonprofit maritime trade association American Maritime Safety (AMS) held its 25th Annual Membership Meeting at The Yale Club of New York City on Thursday, October 23, honoring five member companies with Maritime Safety Awards in recognition of their dedication to promoting safe vessel navigation, preserving the marine environment and for their proactive efforts toward achieving safe maritime working practices. Bouchard Transportation Company, Inc.
HB Rentals Opens Service Location in Mexico
HB Rentals announced the official opening of its new service location in Ciudad del Carmen, Mexico. The new location supports HB’s range of service offerings that include accommodation modules and operating essentials such as water, sewage, power, lighting and communications systems. The addition of this facility allows the company to respond more quickly to the needs of its Mexico-based clients while reducing project expenses by eliminating importation and transportation costs, HB said.
Sea-Fire Systems Aboard Niagara Falls Tour Boats
When it came time to retire the iconic Maid of the Mist Niagara Falls tour boats, Hornblower Niagara Cruises sought replacements that would raise the standard of forward-thinking performance, without sacrificing safety. The two new 86' x 36' catamarans built by Hike Metal, christened Niagara Wonder and Niagara Thunder, each has a capacity of 700 passengers and navigates the churning, rock-strewn waters 6,000 times a year.
Maritime Reporter @ 75: The Daily Cartoon
Maritime Reporter & Engineering News was founded by John J. O'Malley (1905-1980) in 1939, and today ranks as the world's largest audited trade publication in the world serving the maritime industry, with a circulation of more than 35,000 worldwide, including ship and boat owners, ship and boat builders, naval architects and marine engineers. Today Maritime Reporter heads a group of four print and 10 websites serving the global maritime, offshore and subsea sector.
Seaspan Begins First NSPS Build
Seaspan’s Vancouver Shipyards has started construction on two initial blocks for the first National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy (NSPS) ship, the Canadian Coast Guard’s Offshore Fisheries Science Vessel (OFSV), the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Public Works and Government Services Canada, announced. “We are thrilled to begin initial block construction on the OFSV and are grateful that Minister Finley is here to celebrate this milestone moment with us…
500th LNG Cargo Leaves Snøhvit
Snøhvit cargo number 500 was loaded at Melkøya on Mondaym October 27, Statoil said. Since startup in 2007, more than NOK 80 billion worth of LNG has been dispatched from Melkøya. The special vessel Arctic Voyager is the 500th to visit Melkøya and Hammerfest to carry product from the Snøhvit plant. The vessel will freight a cargo of LNG from Melkøya, Norway to Aliaga, Turkey. “This is a special day for the Snøhvit organization and for Statoil.
Global Ship Lease Buys Containership from OOCL
Global Ship Lease, Inc. took delivery of a 2005-built, 8,063 TEU containership, the OOCL Tianjin. Upon delivery, the vessel commenced a timecharter back to the seller…
Statoil: Subsea Wet Gas Compressor Coming to Gullfaks
The world’s first subsea wet gas compressor station is now ready for the final testing at Horsøy outside Bergen before being prepared for installation and hook-up to Gullfaks C in 2015. By adding 22 million extra barrels of oil equivalent from the Gullfaks South Brent reservoir the compressor will help extend the field’s productive life. Starting back in 2008 the efforts to develop and qualify the…
Society for Gas as a Marine Fuel Launched
The Society for Gas as a Marine Fuel (SGMF) was formally launched by Minister Lui Tuck Yew on Wednesday, October 15, 2014 in conjunction with the Singapore International Bunkering Conference and Exhibition (SIBCON) 2014. Approximately 1,600 delegates from more than 50 countries attended the event's opening ceremony, which was organized by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA). Mark Bell…
BigLift Shipping Christens New Flagship
BigLift Shipping today celebrated the naming of its new heavy lift vessel, Happy Star, at a ceremony held at Huisman China’s yard in Xiamenand. The christening was performed by Leanda Breakell, spouse of Greg Breakell, Managing Director of ThyssenKrupp Industrial Solutions (Australia) Pty Ltd. Built by Ouhua Shipbuilding in China, Happy Star completes BigLift Shipping’s fleet of Happy S Series heavy lift vessels and will be the company’s new flagship.
DBR Delivers 42 Gensets to Damen
DBR has delivered the last units of an order totaling 42 marine generator sets for Damen Shipyards Gorinchem. The generator sets will be installed on 14 ASD tugs that Damen is building at its Galaţi yard in Romania for a project in the Middle East. “Our engineers are currently executing commissioning and start-up works in Romania,” said DBR Managing Director Herwin Roodenburg. DBR performed the design and engineering work for the whole contract.
DEA’s New 82-foot Survey Vessel Commissioned
David Evans and Associates, Inc.’s Marine Services Division commissioned its new 82-foot hydrographic survey and scientific vessel Blake in a ceremony held in the vessel’s homeport of Gulfport, Mississippi. At the ceremony, U.S. Senator Thad Cochran of Mississippi broke a Champagne bottle across the Blake’s bow. In addition to remarks by the Senator, Rear Admiral Gerd Glang, the director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office of Coast Survey and the U.S.
Israeli Port Work Starts, Haifa Longshoremen strike
A Chinese construction firm began work on a new Mediterranean port in Israel on Tuesday, prompting a strike at Haifa docks further up the coast where the workers oppose the new competition.
Damen Lands Cruise Ship Repair Work
Damen Shiprepair Rotterdam (part of Damen Shiprepair & Conversion) has been awarded a cruise repair and maintenance contract from MSC Cruises. Built in 2010, the MSC Magnifica is 293 meters long and has a capacity for more than 2,500 passengers. She arrived in Rotterdam on October 20 and is berthed at the yard’s largest drydock, which is 307 meters long. The timescale is tight, with the ship expected to stay for 18 days.
Deltamarin Designs the Libra FPSO
Deltamarin Ltd. has entered into a contract with Jurong Shipyard Pte Ltd for the basic engineering of the Libra FPSO (floating production, storage and offloading unit).
